Orange Cat Gets Accepted by a Capybara Herd at a Malaysian Zoo; Gets His Own Signage and Becomes the Zoo's Main Attraction

Going to the zoo is a fun way to learn about wildlife, see some exotic critters, and to catch a glimpse of a random orange tabby cat in a wild animal enclosure. At the Malaysian zoo, an orange cat named Oyen has become the main attraction at a zoo full of giraffes, toucans, exotic reptiles, and a famously welcoming herd of capybaras. 

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Meet Oyen, the orange cat turned token-rodent who lives in the capybara exhibit at Zoo Negara in Malaysia. Nobody knows exactly how the cat got into the enclosure, but he has been a spectacle for years because he has befriended the entire group of capybaras. It's believed that Oyen lost his mother as a kitten and was roaming the zoo area when he stumbled upon a friendly group of big, hairy critters. The capybaras welcomed Oyen as their own and have been inseparable since. 

Now that Oyen is infamously known as a ‘catybara’ to the locals, he has become the main attraction at the zoo. Some folks travel the world (literally) just to come see this orange cat in his silly little habitat with his silly little friends. Although you can see orange tabby cat strays running around on the street in basically every major city, Oyen is the one who has a star-like reputation. 

Charming, golden, and cuddling his buddies, it's no surprise that Oyen has stolen the show at Zoo Negara. Because he is such a popular addition to the enclosure, the zoo decided to give Oyen his own official placard to signify his membership into the capybara herd and the zoo's official roster. 

It is true that Oyen is technically an animal under the care of the zoo keepers, so why shouldn't he have his own plaque? Just because he's a semi-feral orange cat and he's considered a ‘common animal’ there's nothing common about this ginger boy. He has carved out his own special place in the world just like all cats do, burrowing into the hearts of his comrades and making a furrever home wherever the warmest cuddles await. 

Oyen, the cat who was accepted by a herd of capybaras